Comments on: Obama’s Drug Policy: A Little Better, a Little Worse, Mostly the Samehttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/
It rankles me when somebody tries to tell somebody what to do.Thu, 29 Jan 2015 14:59:44 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3By: Elliothttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-264316
Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:45:55 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-264316I don’t expect Obama to end the abominable War on Drugs. But if they did, I want to know what all the drug warriors will do with their spare time and equipment.
]]>By: musefreehttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-263515
Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:25:38 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-263515I am highly skeptical now of Obama’s medical marijuana promises.

Many readers of this blog may be familiar with the case of Charles Lynch, who who ran a medical marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay that helped relieve the pain of the sick and the dying.

Lynch faces a minimum of five years in prison. If he gets the maximum sentence the law allows, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Whatever sentence he gets will be for actions that are fully legal under California law. Whatever punishment the government hands him will be for deeds neither more nor less than what even those who believe recreational drug use is evil ought to recognise as a sincere service to those who had lost all other hope.

Sentencing in the Lynch case which was scheduled for March 23, 2009 was postponed because the judge requested information from the government regarding the new policy regarding medical marijuana dispensaries.

In response to questions from the court about how to proceed with the Lynch case given that government policy on this issue seems to have reversed, this is what the US Department of Justice wrote in a letter sent earlier today by Marshall Jarrett, Director.

Not only does the DoJ has no intention of intervening in the Lynch case, it also thinks that the prosecution and conviction of Lynch was entirely consistent with present department policies as well as recent statements made by the attorney general.

As I have noted several times on my own blog, one of Obama’s campaign promises was that the DEA will end its medical marijuana raids, a stance that was recently reaffirmed by US attorney general Eric Holder.

So what do you call someone who says one thing and does the opposite?

The evidence currently points to the fact that at least on the issue of marijuana policy, Obama is a liar. Of the worst possible sort.

Now that Obama and his government has made it unambiguously clear to the court that they approve of Lynch’s prosecution, there seems to be little reason why the court should wait. There have been many postponements of the sentencing so far, but there are unlikely to be any more.

For those interested, here’s the letter the DoJ wrote clarifying its stand on Lynch and the new policy.
Charlie Lynch will learn his fate on April 23 in Los Angeles.

]]>By: Dave Kruegerhttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-263069
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:32:52 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-263069If I had read #25 Boyd Durkin, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to post #29. Truer words were never spoken. In fact, after reading #25, I think we might as well all go home and break out the beer. There’s just nothing left to discuss here. :)

We are a depressing lot, aren’t we? When I was a kid, I was politically ignorant. I miss those days.

I just saw a segment about this on CNN and was going to post about it myself. I don’t remember in detail the extent to which he promised to relax the drug war during his campaign, so I’m not the best person to analyze whether he’s changed his mind.

But, from what he’s saying now, I don’t expect any significant alteration in drug war strategy. The drug war isn’t about satisfying the population. It about satisfying the industry that developed as a result of it. That’s where the money is and money talks. I think his wake up call happened when he took office and came face to face with the power and influence of the drug warriors and drug suppliers who consider America’s drug policy to be the goose that’s laying the golden eggs.

Basically, I think Obama’s game plan is to promise reform (in many policy areas) in very vague terms and then define whatever he does later as being the reform he promised.

]]>By: Windyhttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-263002
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:20:07 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-263002Hmm, I think we already know what Obama will and won’t do, he made it quite clear with this:http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2009/apr/16/obama_declares_war_on_american_d
]]>By: JShttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262931
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:39:40 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262931I think so too Boyd. Any speculation on how long before such a thing could happen?
]]>By: MacGregoryhttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262906
Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:08:35 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262906Boyd, as much as I detest idle speculation, I think you are right on target there.
]]>By: Boyd Durkinhttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262775
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:46:34 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262775Lots of guessing here about what Obama will or won’t do.

Here ya go: Whoever is president will expand government more than the previous guy. Debt will grow more than the previous guy. And, you will be less free. There will also be a “military action” that used to pass as war. More Keynes. More socialism.

No, I don’t care who is president. Why would a president want change? They know exactly the game that made them happy before and got them elected to the office…why change?

This prediction will be true until there is an actual revolution in the US.

]]>By: Rhayaderhttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262770
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:37:23 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262770I was surprised there was no mention of Griselda Blanco in the “Queenpins” piece at the Daily Beast. She was Columbian and not Mexican, but was a hugely important part of the cocaine flood in early 80’s Miami. A true pioneer for her gender.

you cannot be that naive as to think the people against obama’s policies are THAT simplistic…

]]>By: paranoiastrksdphttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262743
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:51:34 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262743“As for ‘prohibition’, the drug lobby uses this expression to mislead the gullible into comparing the winnable struggle against narcotics with the doomed war against booze fought by the ‘Untouchables’ and others in Twenties Chicago. Alcohol had been legal for centuries, part of the culture of Christian civilisation. You might as well try to make breathing illegal. But cannabis, cocaine and heroin are alien to our world, and could be driven out by firm action.”

From the Peter Hitchens article.

If the war was “winnable” why after trillions of dollars, multinational cooperation, a cornucopia of draconic laws, and over 70 years of drug prohibition hasn’t the war been “won”?

And Cannabis? Alien to our world? Wtf is this jackass talking about? People were smoking dope before Jesus was born! We’ve been using ganja for food and fiber for THOUSANDS of years – long before the technology to distill alcohol to anything stronger than a beer, mead, or wine existed.

Hell Christ himself may have even partook. Some of the stupid shit people will say to justify getting their authoritarian jollies off just astounds me..

(sorry if this post pops up twice, I mistyped in the email field and the moderator ate it)

Even if they legalize, I don’t trust a government or a corporation to grow my ganja for me without spiking it with all kinds of nasty alien chemicals, or deliberately degrading the quality somehow. Give me a license I can buy to do it myself and I’ll happily pay the state their bribe money to leave me alone. It’s a compromise I can live with.

]]>By: paranoiastrksdphttp://www.theagitator.com/2009/04/16/obamas-drug-policy-a-little-better-a-little-worse-mostly-the-same/comment-page-1/#comment-262738
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:47:22 +0000http://www.theagitator.com/?p=12815#comment-262738“As for ‘prohibition’, the drug lobby uses this expression to mislead the gullible into comparing the winnable struggle against narcotics with the doomed war against booze fought by the ‘Untouchables’ and others in Twenties Chicago. Alcohol had been legal for centuries, part of the culture of Christian civilisation. You might as well try to make breathing illegal. But cannabis, cocaine and heroin are alien to our world, and could be driven out by firm action.”

From the Peter Hitchens article.

If the war was “winnable” why after trillions of dollars, multinational cooperation, a cornucopia of draconic laws, and over 70 years of drug prohibition hasn’t the war been “won”?

And Cannabis? Alien to our world? Wtf is this jackass talking about? People were smoking dope before Jesus was born! We’ve been using ganja for food and fiber for THOUSANDS of years – long before the technology to distill alcohol to anything stronger than a beer, mead, or wine existed.

Hell Christ himself may have even partook. Some of the stupid shit people will say to justify getting their authoritarian jollies off just astounds me..